


do you really care?

by Ravenstorm789



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anger, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, Centaurs, Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Developing Friendships, Family Bonding, Fauns & Satyrs, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Magic, Manipulation, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:41:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29768094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenstorm789/pseuds/Ravenstorm789
Summary: Alexa, more known as Al, encountered a small group of friendly misfits as two of them mistook her for a deer. She's, at first, confused and scared but soon warms up to the three as time goes on, even helping them with their farm work.But not everything is as good as it seems, not after their house gets burnt to the ground from rioters. Al is even more confused at the history of her friends, wondering what they had done to be hated by the local town folks. However, she has no time to sit around and wonder, her friends are in need of her help when a king is out seeking for their heads. Al has to choose, to stay by her friends sides or.....well who knows.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a story that I have written for me and my friends since we spent time making ourselves cool looking ocs and I'm really excited to write and upload it here!  
> The summary might be a little off with what I'm actually trying to write so I'll probably go and edit it as time goes on but don't worry, it'll be fine. Just sit back and watch this story unfold!

Quiet hums came from the kitchen, steam coming from boiling pots and pans as two hungry individuals waited rather impatiently at the table, occasionally asking the winged lady if it was done. But she always answered with a "be patient" while rolling her eyes. She took a small spoonful and tasted it, the flavors blending well together but it was still missing something. She just didn't know what. She reached up towards the cabinets, standing on her toes to reach towards the very back before she got interrupted, stumbling back with a frustrated sigh. 

"Lae! We're getting bored, when is dinner gonna be ready?"

A satyr yelled from the table, a shit-eating grin on her face as a her friend cackled from the other side of the table. 

"Learn some patience, Link!"

Lae shouted back, rolling her eyes and fluffing her wings in annoyance. Those two had zero patience when it came to food and it was like trying to teach a toddler not to demand attention or food by throwing a tantrum. But Link and Hazel have saved her ass more times then she could count so she let them have their fun. 

She once again stood up on her toes, reaching in the back of the cabinet to grab a small box filled with a special herb that she used to make her dishes pop with flavor. Lae huffed as she set it on the counter, rolling her shoulders back as she silently cursed her height and the placement of the cabinets. Link and Hazel were much taller than her so she frequently made them get things from atop the fridge and the highest part of the shelves. She hated being shorter than them but there was nothing she could really do about it.

"Just sit tight you two! Dinner will be ready in like, 10 minutes so keep waiting."

"But we're gonna waste away if we wait any longer!"

"Then go and do something while you wait!"

Lae sometimes wished the two would use their heads before she reminded herself that they shared a brain cell. She awaited for a response but no one answered so she just shrugged it off and continued cooking. It was one of those nights again, making more than one meal because Link was picky and so was Hazel. If the two could only eat bread and fish, they would but Lae had standards and wasn't going to let them eat only two things. They needed a balanced diet. 

Link was having chicken with a side of bread, jam, and fresh veggies. Hazel was having steak with veggies, bread, and some bones since apparently demons need some bones in their diet. And Lae was having fish with veggies, bread, and some mushroom stew. It was definitely a lot to cook but she didn't mind doing it. At long as the two ate, she was fine making more than one meal. 

She got the plates and bowls, setting the food neatly onto them and making sure everything was in order before picking them up, heading out to the table slowly. She didn't need to drop any of these plates. Lae squeezed her way through the doorway, her large wings getting in the way as she headed towards the table, her feathered ears perking up with confusion as she didn't see Link and Hazel at the table. She glanced towards the closed door and then at the empty glass cabinet, that stored their weapons, near it. Lae tilted her head, wanting to know what the two were up to. Were they out fishing to pass the time or were they out collecting berries and wheat from the shared garden? She didn't know what they were doing but she was going to find out.

Lae set the plates down on the table and ran outside, slamming the wooden door behind her. the woods were wide open in front of her branches twisting and seemingly taunting her inability to take flight. It wasn't like her wings were broken, no, that wasn't it. The tree were large and gnarly, making it hard to properly spread her wings and fly. So she resorted to running and raced down the wooden stairs, heading into the woods.

"Link! Hazel! Where are you two?"

the winged lady called out, fluffing her wings up in frustration when there was no response.

"C'mon guys, this isn't funny! If you're trying to pull a prank on me, it isn't going to work!"

She stomped a large clawed foot in frustration, feeling the grass and dirt against her toes. Hazel was a real prankster, usually scaring her shitless whenever she got impatient for dinner or just whenever she wanted a reaction. It seemed like Link was helping Hazel pull a prank. She straightened up, rolling her shoulders back as she stayed silent, hoping to hear some cackled or giggles somewhere in the woods. But what she heard instead was panicked and frustrated screams and they sounded close. Lae felt her heart race, adrenaline moving her forward as she ran towards the sounds, hoping and praying that the two didn't get themselves seriously injured. 

'Please let Link and Hazel be okay, please, please, please...'

She prayed silently as she burst through the bushes, eyes lighting up with relief as she saw Link and Hazel. but her face dropped as she saw them standing over a slumped figure, arrows piercing into their flanks and shoulder while blood dripped from their forehead. It looked like a deer but not a deer at the same time. Lae gasped, a hand rising to her face as she realized the poor creature was a centaur. And a sick one at that. Link and Hazel were arguing, pointing the blame at each other till Link stopped and fell silent when she saw Lae. Hazel fell in suit, a frown forming on her face as she lowered her gaze in shame.

Lae moved closer, peering down at the injured centaur. arrows were lodged in its side and right shoulder, blood spilling out in thin streams while it dripped down its forehead. she looked to the left of it, seeing a bow broken and its pieces were scattered a few meters away. She crouched, using a hand to brush away a few strands of hair to see the damage. The centaur was unconscious and still breathing, which relieved the three when Lae confirmed that it was still alive. But now the two were shrinking away in fear as Lae towered over them, wings spread wide to shield the unconscious being, her face twisted with anger and disappointment.

_"What have you two done!?"_


	2. where am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al finally wakes up from her two day coma, confused and scared and desperate to escape. What awaits her is something she wasn't expecting.

There was loud sounds echoing around her, filling the black void with something other than the endless buzzing. She didn't know how many hours or days had passed since everything went black but what she did know was that there were others. She guess there were three, maybe four but she could never tell. She didn't exactly want to know anyway.

Al heard the voices get louder, white ears lowering at the sudden increase in volume. Some days she had to strain to hear what the voices were saying while others she had to try and block out the angry shouts and insults. Well, today was different. Instead of pure black like she was used to, everything seemed brighter and clearer, her brain felt like it was less jumbled and more organized. She didn't know how to describe the feeling. With a pained groan, she blinked open her eyes and moved her arm to shield them from all the sudden brightness. What she saw made her jaw clench.  
  
She was curled up next to a perfectly carved wooden wall with a blanket thrown over her flanks and another was hung around her shoulders. She guessed they were to keep her warm while she was out. Chairs were perched neatly around a round table, empty plates and glasses sitting upon the table. The floor was also like the walls, smooth and neatly carved to fit like a puzzle together. Picture frames and cabinets and drawers were scattered around here and there to fill in the empty space, making it seem like the place was crowded without it actually be crowded. It was nice, if there weren't loud chattering coming from kitchen. She assumed it was the kitchen.  
  
She shrugged off the blanket that hung around her shoulders, letting it fall to the hound before pulling the other blanket off as well. She lazily moved her left arm, staring at the stump with a saddened look before it turned to curiosity when she realized the gaping wound was sealed and patched up with stitches and bandages. Whoever helped her had done a rather good job at it but she was confused. But why would they help her? She was a stranger to them, as they were strangers to her.  
  
She turned her attention away from her limb, staring at the wall for a moment before reaching up to grip the short edges that stuck out slightly with a hand, pulling herself up on shaky legs. Her hooves scrapped the wooden floor with a painful shriek as she tried to steady herself, her long tail giving a single lash. She knew she was weak but not this weak! She must've lost more muscle during her blackout. The centaur took a few minutes to steady her shaking legs before letting go of the wall, taking a few steps forward and backwards to make sure she wasn't seriously injured. Her shoulder and flanks hurt like the devil though so she took it easy.  
  
Her ears twitched as the voices continued with whatever they were talking about. Good, they were distracted. She glanced towards the large, wooden door a few meters away, the perfect escape. Sure, whoever these strangers were, they helped her but she couldn't trust them. Her mother always told her to not trust strangers, even if they had helped you. She shakily made her way towards the door, reaching out with a hand to grab the cold, metal knob. She pulled. The door didn't budge.  
  
"Oh! You're awake!"  
  
She froze in her spot, hand still gripping the doorknob but she was gripping it so tightly, her knuckles started to ache. She slowly turned her head away, brows furrowing at whoever interrupted her escape before her eyes widened with fear. A short, winged lady stood at wide entrance to the kitchen, bright blue eyes staring into her green ones. She glanced towards her feet, almost flinching at the sight of the sharp, curved talons that were attached to scaly, bird legs. The winged lady looked nice, with her toothy smile and fluffy, gray feathers that were fluffed up slightly. The lady wore just simple clothes, her rather light colored hair pulled back into a...whatever it was. She didn't know what it was.  
  
Behind the winged lady, a satyr peered over her wings with goat-like eyes and horns. She looked fascinated by the centaur but at the same time, she looked regretful. The centaur couldn't fully see the satyr but she assumed she was wearing simple clothes as well. On the other side, behind the lady, was an extremely tall lizard with yellow eyes and a toothy grin, the red and yellow colors contrasting again the others more duller ones. She finally let go of the doorknob, feeling goosebumps run up her arms as fear made her panic, hooves stomping against the wood.  
  
"Hey, hey, it's okay. We're not here to hurt you."  
  
The winged woman took a step towards her but stumbled back as she suddenly reared upwards with a cry, golden hooves stomping down with a thud.  
  
"Hey! Calm down, we're trying to help you!"  
  
The satyr yelled, hands curling into fists as they shoved their way past the woman. The lizard followed shortly after, claws hands raised in a defensive manner as the panicked centaur began to stumble and trip backwards. They were going to lunge till they were smacked on the back of their heads, turning their eyes to the woman with confused looks.  
  
"Either you two behave or I'm making you do my chores for a month."  
  
She warned, silencing the two with a glare. Then she took careful steps with pale arms outstretched to hopefully calm down the centaur.  
  
"I'm sorry for Link and Hazel's behavior, they don't take kindly to strangers. Though they should feel bad, they were the ones who injured you."  
  
She casted the two a glance before her attention refocused on the taller individual in front of her.  
  
"Anyways, I'm Lae. Mind if I ask for your name?"  
  
The centaur felt her heart beating wildly, slamming against her ribs as sweat dripped from her forehead. Her breathing came out ragged as she darted her gaze from Lae to Link and Hazel behind her then back at Lae. Those were their names? They sounded harmless but the individuals with those names looked scary as all hell. She subconsciously covered her stump with her hand, taking a small step back away from the outstretched hand of Lae, not wanting to get hurt.  
  
"I'm...I'm Al."  
  
She mumbled, gaze flickering between the calm look of Lae to the rather angry, so she assumed, expressions of the other two. They clearly didn't want her here, she was a stranger who was trespassing on their territory. Satyr's, from what she was told, were a territorial species who didn't take kindly to strangers wandering mindlessly on their land. They're bold and fierce, a species that Al wouldn't want to carelessly mess with. And Hazel was a scary looking lizard that made Al's heart race everytime she looked at her. Why did Lae have two scary people in her house?  
  
"Al. That's a nice name. I'm sorry for these two scaring you, they don't have many manners. Frankly, it's like trying to control children."  
  
"HEY!"  
  
Link and Hazel shouted in unison, their faces twisting with shock before the three burst out laughing.  
  
"Uh....no problem?"  
  
Al gave a half-hearted grin, suddenly self-conscious of her tooth gap while her tail twitching from side to side as the laughter quieted down. She looked back and forth between the three, her mouth forming a frown as her brows furrowed together.  
  
"Um....where am I?"  
  
Lae flashed a toothy smile as if she was waiting for her to ask. She reached out and grabbed Al's hand, gently grasping it with her smaller hands, a small way to calm her.  
  
"My dear, you're in our home. We welcome you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1! Yes, I know that is says Chapter 2 but with the way my story is written, this is Chapter 2.  
> Al finally meets the three and I'm really excited to get started on Chapter 3 where Lae explains everything in more detail while Link and Hazel go and do some yard work. As punishment cause they scared their poor guest!


	3. this isn't so bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al has conflicted feelings on the small group of misfits. She doesn't understand if she could trust them or not, longing to know what her feelings truly mean. Only time with tell.

"You're 18, about to turn 19, and you've been living alone for 10 years. And you once belonged to a herd that was soon wiped out due to hunters. Is that what I'm hearing, Al?"

Al and Lae had been talking for 3 hours now, either telling a few details here and there about each other's life. Al only wanted to know more about Lae and her friends, usually redirecting the topics back to Lae so the spotlight wasn't on her. But now it seemed like there was no way around this with Lae staring intensely at her and her hands clasped together. She felt uncomfortable with the look she was receiving, seemingly shrinking into her skin.

"Yeah. It was difficult at first to live alone but I managed."

Al stated, shrugging her shoulders and trying to sit up straighter to show she wasn't getting uncomfortable. She sat upon a wide bench with soft cushions so her legs wouldn't get sore. She was wearing some of the other clothes, a plain t-shirt with a bright blue jacket and one of the sleeves was tied off on her left arm. Lae was seated in front of her, wearing a flowy white dress with puffy edges and sleeves, the round table situated between them as they chatted. Al was captivated by her beauty, she never seen someone as intriguing and beautiful as Lae.

Thankfully, Link and Hazel were out chopping wood. Not that she wouldn't have minded the two here, it was the rowdy personalities and their appearances that made her shrink away whenever they raised their hands or their voices. Lae didn't need her guest to be in constant defense mode. 

"But you were a child, Al. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not really, no."

Lae gave a heavy sigh, shoving her face into the palms of her hands before pushing back a few strands of hair and leaning back in her chair. Al didn't see what the big deal was. Didn't everyone at some point live alone?

"Okay, if it doesn't bother you, then it won't bother me. Let's move on, starting with those burn scars of yours. And your arm."

Al froze at the statement, green eyes widening as Lae leaned back in her chair, patiently waiting for an answer as she took a sip of the tea she prepared minutes prior. Her hand subconsciously moved to grasp the stump, a protective manner that she adapted once she lost her limb. Something recent had happened that caused her injuries, maybe a few weeks ago, she didn't know. Time had gone by fast, days blurring together while she stumbled around in a forest with tear stains and blood. Al bite the inside of her cheek, trying to think of something to say without receiving a negative reaction from the person seated across from her. 

"...I don't really want to tell you."

"That's alright, dear. We can talk about something else. How about-"

Lae pointed a long finger towards the curved horn that rested upon Al's forehead, gleaming white like her pelt with a gold gradient running down the horn.

"-your horn? What's your magic like?"

"My magic?"

Al hadn't thought much about her magic. In fact, she barely knew how to use it. She tapped her chin with her fingers, thinking of the last time she had used magic before rubbing her temples, eventually coming to the conclusion that it's been too long. She didn't know how. 

"Sorry, I don't…know much about my magic."

Al apologized, her eyes lowering with shame as she gazed at the empty tea cup on the small, round plate on the table. Lae only shrugged, reassuring the centaur that it was okay. But Al still felt bad that she couldn't tell her about her magic and the rising disappointment kept nagging at her. But she didn't have time to dwell on her festering emotions, for Lae abruptly stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles from her clothes, waving a hand for Al to follow her. 

The air felt still as she joined Lae, walking slowly behind the winged woman with careful steps as they neared the open door. Al was confused on why they didn't step outside but Lae only pointed towards Link and Hazel. The two were chopping logs with their axes, both laughing at each other and making rather crude inside jokes that made Al and Lae snicker. 

"Why don't we join them? I've been asking you lots of questions today so giving you a small tour of our yard might be a nice scene change."

Lae gestured towards the lush grass and wooden fence that surrounded a good portion of land. Al saw the fence disappear into the gnarly, dark woods, feeling shivers run up her spine as she nodded. Lae shoved the door open and stepped out, waiting for Al to follow before skipping over to the working duo. Al hung back a bit, watching the three exchange friendly smiles and punches while they greeted Lae. She felt jealous but was it truly jealousy? Did she only feel jealousy because that's what you're supposed to feel? She couldn't understand what she was feeling nor what she wanted so she pushed it down and went to join the three. 

"Oh, hey Al!"

Link was the first to greet her, having to look up slightly to get a full view of the newcomer. The centaur tilted her head to the side, curious with her curled horns and other goat-like features, such as her hooves and eyes. Seeing a satyr up close was something she never thought would happen but here she was!

"What are you two doing out here?"

Hazel asked, her scaly tail wagging back and forth with excitement. Al let Lae answer, focusing more on the appearances of the two. Link was more human, dark freckles over her nose and cheeks with ram horns and fluffy ears. Seemed like everyone had freckles except Hazel but she at least had cool looking spots! She stood out in the lush green biome with her fire red scales and height, sharp fangs jetting outwards from her grinning mouth. Al was scared of her but she seemed friendly enough.

Link, on the other hand, was playfully head butting Lae's wings with a grin, her tail wagging vigorously back and forth. Al watched the two run off, stifling a laugh as Lae reached out with her talons and scooped the satyr up like it was no problem, proceeding to drop her in a pile of hay with her wings flapping to keep her in air. Hazel was laughing her tail off. 

"Thanks Lae, I'll be pulling straw in my sleep."

Link snapped with a playful tone, glaring at the centaur and lizard as they snickered. She could see, even at a distance, that hay was stuck in her hair and clinging to her hoodie and sweats. She darted her eyes between the three, fighting back a smile while Hazel and Lae went to help the satyr clean the straw from her clothes and hair. Despite wanting to trust them, her mind still whirled with anxiety, the possibilities of them hurting her. But she would worry about that later, when the time came. For now, she would enjoy the company of the three and help when needed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, yay! I'm not super happy with this one but it's okay. You're seeing what Al thinks of the three and she might be okay with sticking around! We'll have to see.


	4. bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al has gotten comfortable for the past few weeks, bonding with her new friends and helping out with the barn chores. Tonight, Link and Al talk over simple things.

Al had gotten comfortable for the last few weeks, either watching the others do their chores from the tall windows or being outside with them, hovering over their shoulders with curious eyes. One a few occasions, they would allow her to do some work. First, she tried to help chop wood for the fireplace but with one arm, she couldn't lift the axe high enough to swing it. Next, she tried to rake leaves. It was an okay job though it was difficult without two hands. Eventually, Hazel gave her the job of feeding the livestock every morning and night. 

It took a few days for Al to get the hang of it, having to figure out what feed to use for the cows, horses, pigs, and sheep. She even had to learn how to feed the chickens and, in her opinion, they were much easier to feed. And surprisingly, she was good at her job. The animals were well behaved around her when they would normally act out when the others tried to pet them. Al had an easy time settling into the job she was given. 

It was a warm evening, tiny, white spots lighting up the sky as the sun settled behind the trees and mountains. They had just finished dinner and Al was staring out at the forest, standing upon a birch porch that carved rails. She was spending her nights in Hazel's room, usually falling asleep upright in a corner. That's how she slept and Link had expressed immediate interest at it, sometimes trying to clamber up on her back to see how long it would take for Al to awake and buck her off. 10 seconds was a new record.

Al smiled fondly to herself at the memory, twitching her tail as she gazed outwards towards the vast land. Her ear twitched as she heard a door open then slam close, turning her head to see the familiar face of the satyr. 

"Nice view, huh?"

Link leaned against the porch rails, tail wagging as she also stared at the scenery. 

"Yeah, it's nice. You guys have a nice piece of land."

Al stated, shrugging her shoulders as she continued to stare at Link. Link noticed this, turning to face the taller being with a brow raised.

"Am I that pretty that you have to stare?" 

Al flushed red with embarrassment, ears lowering as Link barked out a laugh. The two had bonded over the few weeks she'd been living here, either by Link teaching her how to feed the animals or Al just stealing her shiny rings and necklaces. Speaking of rings and necklaces, she was wearing some of them right now. Thankfully, Link didn't mind. 

"No, I was staring at your horns. How long did they take to grow?"

Al asked, tilting her head to the side in wonder. She's always wanted to know how her horns curved around her ears. 

Link paused, tapping her chin with a finger as she dug deep into her memories. Eventually, she shrugged, her nicking jerking upwards before she quickly began her sentence. 

"I was maybe 7 or 8 when my horns started to come in. They hurt like a bitch!"

She then went on to describe how they grew in, saying how at certain stages of growth, her horns would bled and ache for a while before it stopped. She even explained how her horns were able to curve, like how they are today. During their conversation, Link would either jerk her head upwards in a quick motion or her sentences would be interrupted with a short "wow!" or "woo!" Al couldn't help but be curious so she decided to ask.

"Hey Link? Why do you make those sounds?"

"Oh, I have tics. Mainly physical ones but I do have a few vocal ones, like wow or woo that you just heard. So if I say or do anything funny, it's probably just those."

Link explained, rubbing the back of her neck with a hand as though she was expecting the question. Al, however, was grateful for the explanation. 

"Oh, so those are tics! Thank you for telling me, sorry for making you uncomfortable with me asking."

"Nah, it's fine! I'm glad you asked about it sooner than later."

The satyr smiled gratefully before she left the porch, racing down the steps and out onto the yard. She gestured wildly for Al to follow, pointing towards the barn and as Al went to join her, she was already pulling the barn doors open and slipping inside. 

The centaur followed, tail twitching nervously as she pushed the door open more and went inside, letting the darkness cover her vision. The barn was always dark without the lights and at night, it was even darker. She heard rustling around her before bright lights came on, emulating the barn with an orange glow. Link must've been the one to have turned on all the lights though she couldn't be found. Al began to panic slightly, picking up her pace as she began to look through the stalls, seeing a few cows and pigs awake along with most of the chickens. Next, she went to check on the horses and as she was looking, she heard wood creaking then a sudden weight slamming into her back. With a shocked and panicked cry, she reared upwards. 

She heard a thump then an "oof", turning to see Link splayed out on the ground. She looked out of breath. 

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

"You could've just asked."

"Well, can I?"

Al pretended to think about it before nodding, watching Link scramble back onto her hooves and clambering up onto her back.

"NOW WE RIDE!"

Link shrieked, holding onto her waist as the centaur reared upwards and galloped out of the barn, speeding across the yard with excited yelps. They didn't stop till Hazel yelled at them to go to bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very happy with this chapter! If you haven't noticed, Link had tics and she's based off of one of my online friends (the same group of people who I'm making this story for) so I really hope I'm portraying her character correctly.   
> Link, if you read these, please let me know if I did it okay or if I need to change or improve anything!


End file.
